I started this as a brief reply.... but it evolved and so i have made a New Topic Here
But is still relevant to this post... so here it goes..
I think Disney will in time explore the FOX Sci-Fi Franchises this i think is a certain, when they are acquiring the rights they will be acquiring the rights to these Franchises too. Disney had purchased part of the Marvel Franchise in 2009 (Marvel Entertainment) were they had agreements to make Marvel Movies with 20th Century Fox (X-Men Primarily) but the other Marvel Movies (Marvel Studios) such as Iron Man and Avengers etc are already part of Disney.
So Disney has these Comic Book Franchises it has utilized and now it looks like it will have all Marvel Franchise Rights with the acquisition of 20th Century FOX (X-Men/Fantastic 4) and we know Disney has Purchased the Star Wars Franchise too.
Star Wars is a Sci-Fi Genre but its also a Action one too, but its different in a way to the Comic Book Marvel Film Adaptions... Disney has other Movie Companies and Franchises too, and will gain more when it completes a take over of 20th Century FOX
HOWEVER....
The ALIEN and PREDATOR Franchises are different to the Marvel and Star Wars ones, they cater for a different Audience and Age Group, I dont think Disney would try and make these Franchises become something similar to the Super Hero Comic Book Franchises, or the Star Wars especially the New Trilogy kind of movies.
ALIEN and PREDATOR reach out to a different Audience than those, and i dont think Disney will try and make these Franchises more Kiddy Friendly, they NEED something a bit DIFFERENT something more ADULT
So the ALIEN and PREDATOR Franchises offer Disney something different to put out there, these Franchises are different to the Marvel Movies and Star Wars and i cant see Disney trying to make them appear similar or appeal to the similar Fanbase.
ULTIMATELY.... This means Disney WILL explore and expand both the ALIEN and PREDATOR Franchises, i think this is for certain, HOWEVER we cant be sure when they will EXPAND upon these Franchises, i think Disney will see how the New PREDATOR Movie Performs and then see how this movie does compared to those before it... they will then assess the Predator Franchise based on how the New Movie does.
When it comes to ALIEN i think they know how HUGE a Hit ALIEN and ALIENS were something just Worked with those movies, that after Alien 3 just seemed to loose its Shine... Alien Resurrection not going down too well.
Ridley Scott's attempt at a Franchise Prequels where he attempted something different with PROMETHEUS did not go down to well with some Critics, yet it Financially was a Success, But to many ALIEN Franchise Fans it was just not really enough of a ALIEN movie, hence we got ALIEN: Covenant and this movie did not become a Commercial Success, not as much as they expected and while RS may feel the Reintroduction of the Xenomorph is one reason for the down-fall, and he wishes to explore some themes he wanted to do with the Prometheus 2 sequel.... and he wishes to explore AI more, i feel looking at the criticism aimed at Alien Covenant that for the majority its the Pursuit of AI and being about AI rather than the Xenomorph is the biggest gripe people seem to have for Alien Covenant.
And so i think with Disney taking ownership, they will be assessing what Fans want, its a case of will they do what RS wants, maybe not if they feel his direction is taking things to far away from the ALIEN feel. I think Disney will be looking to do what ever will MAKE MONEY but they also would be up for trying something a bit different too, which is what they have done with the New Stars Movies, they are not a direct like for like with the Original 3 movies of which the New Franchise is a continuation, while Star Wars was about Luke, Solo, Leigh and threw in Chewbacca C3PO and R2D2 the New Franchise is changing these things, as the BIGGER Picture within the Star Wars Franchise is the FORCE and thus the JEDI and the SITH but the movie also has to have Storm Troopers and the Similar.
And so i think when Disney look at the ALIEN Franchise they will look at what the Franchise really was about, and while some may think its about Ripley, it is not... Ripley is no more a part of ALIEN as Luke is with STAR WARS and its not about David, he is to ALIEN as maybe Vader is to Star Wars.
The Star Wars Franchise can Spit out movie after movie, but they will all revolve or should revolve around the FORCE but then you can have expanded Universe Movies, which can be close like Rogue One or Further from the events of Star Wars like the Han Solo movie that is being wrapped up.
so the ALIEN Franchise in this Context has to be about the ALIEN and i think it needs to look at the Roots... which is and will always be that Derelict Ship, the Space Jockey Pilot and the Xenomorph Eggs and while Prometheus tried to expand the Universe by Expanding the Space Jockey/Derelict as far as Engineers/Technology it did not do enough to show the Xenomorph
I think Disney will attempt to get things back on track, they will realize RS is trying something NEW and that the Prequels will be something NEW and address the events that lead up to ALIEN i think Disney will realize the Xenomorph Origins and how any prequels link to the EVENT in ALIEN that is the Derelict will be something they would likely still be interested in. But i think Disney will look at what they feel may have gone wrong since after Alien 3 and i think they will look at the BASICS of the Franchise.. like how STAR WARS was a saga about the FORCE i think Disney need to assess and see what the BASICS of the ALIEN Franchise is.
The ALIEN Franchise has its Ripley/David like how Star Wars has Luke/Anakin but while Star Wars is also about the FORCE, the JEDI and SITH they (Disney) need to look at what is the ALIEN universes Equivalent and i think for this they need to look at the Basics for RS first reasons for doing Prequels. And so i think they need to look at what went so WRONG with the Exploration of the Space Jockey and continue with this but take it back to something more ALIEN, with Star Wars we have the FORCE which is split between the JEDI and SITH and we also have the Tale of the Empire (its rise/fall and rebirth) we also have the Tale of the Rebels but these things are only a smaller part much like in ALIEN we have the Weyland-Yutani Company, and so when we look at the Rise/Fall/Rebirth of the Galactic Empire/New Order we see something that every part of this rise and fall (well nearly) has featured the Clone/Storm Troopers... No Star Wars Movie would seem a Legit Star Wars movie without Storm Troopers i am sure everyone will agree... imagine the New Trilogy with NO Storm Troopers or related Technology? Exactly
I think this is where the XENOMORPH has to fit with what ever plans for the Franchise DISNEY may have.
They are a Tool (which can come in various forms) that are used as a Weapon by different Factions throughout the History, we see in SW we had the Clone Troopers, which became the Storm Troopers which latter became the New Order Troopers..... in ALIEN we had this Alien Organism, which the WY Company wanted to obtain and control... the Prequels set in order that the Engineers must have created this Bio-Weapon, with Alien Covenant they gave us a Curve-ball that David Created the Xenomorph but throughout we still have the Xenomorph DNA/Black goo that is created, re-created and then wishing to be obtained by Engineers, David and the Company.
So then all we need now is our The FORCE and for the ALIEN Franchise this has to be exploring the Creation Element behind the Engineers, they created us or so it appears... the Engineers did not appear to please some, and especially how they are portrayed in AC and i feel they need to ADDRESS the Creation of the Engineers the Hierarchy, who came first Humans? Engineers? are the LV-223 and Planet 4 Engineers similar the same?
We need to look at which Creation came first, Planet 4 Engineers, LV-223 Engineers, Humans and WHO/WHAT is above them..... THIS would be the ALIEN Franchises THE FORCE and while the Force has the Jedi and Sith i think we need to address what Factions are at play above and beyond the ENGINEERS but to NOT FORGET that they cant at least for the next TWO movies delve to Far Away from the Xenomorph, this is the Storm Troopers of the Alien Franchise, they cant abandon how we get to those Eggs on the Derelict in ALIEN much like the Prequels had to show in Star Wars what lead to the Creation of the Empire and its Tools (Clone/Storm Troopers)
ONCE this is done and done right.... then the ALIEN Franchise can explore the Engineers in any kind of context they wish, that has nothing to do with Xenomorphs, for now they have to go the route to ALIEN and then REEL in the Fanbase to see the Bigger Picture of the Engineers and what ever History/Hierarchy is at play but something more ALIEN than those Planet 4 Engineers must come into play.
We can see Expanded Movies like how Star Wars has the Han Solo movie, and in the Alien Franchise this could be about the Company etc, i just feel right now they need to be very CAREFUL to not make it too much about the Company and AI, at the expense of the Engineers and the Forms of Bio-Weapon they created.